Apple Misrepresents iPhones’ Water Resistance, Lawsuit Alleges

Apple Inc. markets its iPhones as having certain degrees of water resistance but denies warranty coverage when consumers splash their devices with water that contains chlorine or salt, a consumer alleges in a new lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Apple also often cites improper use by consumers when denying coverage without offering them an avenue to contest that determination, Antoinette Smith says in the complaint, which was filed April 24.

Apple’s “marketing and advertising emphasize the water-resistance and impermeability of the devices to water by showing them being splashed, immersed in ...